Tuesday, 18 June 2013

James J. "Jim" Donelon (born December 14, 1944) has been the Republican insurance commissioner of Louisiana since February 15, 2006. Donelon won a full-term as commissioner in the October 20, 2007 nonpartisan blanket primary. He finished with 606,534 votes (51 percent) and defeated three opponents, the closest of whom, Democrat Jim Crowley, polled 423,722 (36 percent). Two other Republican candidates garnered the remaining 13 percent.[1]

Donelon was first elected to complete a 15-month unexpired term as insurance commissioner in a special election held on September 30, 2006. He polled 50.1 percent of the ballots cast in a low-turnout election. His 283,316 votes were 847 more than the tabulations of his two opponents combined. Republican state Senator James David Cain of Sabine Parish polled 222,414 (39 percent); S.B.A. Zaitoon of the Libertarian Party, received 60,094 votes (11 percent). There was no Democrat in the special election. Donelon ran strongest in urban areas; Cain, in rural parishes and small towns.

Donelon became commissioner when Democrat J. Robert Wooley resigned to become a lobbyist for the high-powered law firm Adams and Reese in Baton Rouge. Wooley appointed Donelon as his first deputy in 2001, and under the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, Donelon automatically became temporary commissioner.

Wooley said that he chose Donelon to be his chief deputy because of Donelon's impeccable reputation and his extensive knowledge of insurance. "Jim was the only guy I knew who could help me restore the credibility and integrity of an office embarrassed because the three previous insurance commissioners had gone to jail ... [H]e is a consumer advocate who does the right thing for the right reasons, and he knows insurance inside and out. I believe he is the most qualified commissioner of insurance ever to assume the position", Wooley said.In 1975, Donelon ran successfully for Jefferson Parish President, the equivalent of Mayor of the large suburban parish outside New Orleans. He was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1982, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1995, and 1999. He resigned midway through his fifth full term to join Wooley's staff.

In 1979, Donelon passed up a reelection bid to the Jefferson Parish Council to make an unsuccessful race for Lieutenant Governor against his then fellow Democrat, Robert Louis "Bobby" Freeman of Plaquemine in Iberville Parish. Donelon was considered the "conservative" in that race to the "liberal" Freeman. Most of the supporters of David C. Treen, the winner of the gubernatorial election that year, are believed to have backed Donelon, and most of the backers of Democrat Louis J. Lambert went with Freeman. There was also a Republican in the race, Russel C. "Russ" Kiger, II, then a field representative of the National Cash Register Company based in Baton Rouge. Kiger said that his views parallelled those of Treen and claimed that his non-political technical background would have benefited state government.[2] Yet, Kiger polled only 46,847 votes in the primary, fewer than half of the registered Republicans then on the Louisiana voter rolls, and was hence eliminated from the Donelon-Freeman general election.[3] Jesse Monroe Knowles, a state senator and decorated World War II veteran from Lake Charles, was yet another candidate in the lieutenant governor's contest. Early in 1980, both Donelon and Knowles switched to Republican affiliation.[4]

In the spring of 1980, Donelon ran unsuccessfully as the Republican consensus choice for the seat that Treen vacated in the United States House of Representatives from the 3rd congressional district. He was defeated by the Democrat Billy Tauzin, who fourteen years later in 1995 switched to Republican affiliation. In 1998, Donelon lost a race for the U.S. Senate against the Democrat John Breaux. Both Tauzin and Breaux retired from the House and Senate, respectively, in January 2005.[citation needed] In the spring of 1999, Donelon lost still another race to a fellow Republican for a state judgeship in Jefferson Parish.Donelon was born in New Orleans. He graduated from Jesuit High School, the University of New Orleans, and Loyola University New Orleans School of Law. In 1986, he was the first recipient of the Homer L. Hitt Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award for the University of New Orleans.

Donelon serves on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and is chairman of the NAIC Surplus Lines Task Force. He is also on the Board of Directors of the New Orleans Alliance for the Mentally Ill and the Blood Center for Southeast Louisiana. The Alliance for Good Government honored Donelon as both "Outstanding Jefferson Parish Official" and "Legislator of Distinction".[citation needed]

Donelon retired after 33 years of service as State Judge Advocate for the Louisiana Army National Guard. He held the rank of colonel and received the prestigious Legion of Merit medal.

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Insurance Agent and Home Eservice ins and Life Claims Insurance Claims Insurance PHone Number

Insurance Agent and Home Eservice ins and Life Claims Insurance Claims Insurance PHone Number

Insurance Agent and Home Eservice ins and Life Claims Insurance Claims Insurance PHone Number

Insurance Agent and Home Eservice ins and Life Claims Insurance Claims Insurance PHone Number

Insurance Agent and Home Eservice ins and Life Claims Insurance Claims Insurance PHone Number

Insurance Agent and Home Eservice ins and Life Claims Insurance Claims Insurance PHone Number

Insurance Agent and Home Eservice ins and Life Claims Insurance Claims Insurance PHone Number

Insurance Agent and Home Eservice ins and Life Claims Insurance Claims Insurance PHone Number

Insurance Agent and Home Eservice ins and Life Claims Insurance Claims Insurance PHone Number

Insurance Agent and Home Eservice ins and Life Claims Insurance Claims Insurance PHone Number